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The human factor in licensing and operating the next generation of nuclear plants
As human factors specialists working at the intersection of human performance and nuclear operations, we are witnessing one of the nuclear sector’s most significant transitions in decades. The emergence of small modular reactors, microreactors, and other advanced designs is reshaping the industry’s landscape. Digital instrumentation and controls, passive safety systems, and increased automation are creating opportunities for greater safety margins and more flexible operation. These same features also fundamentally redefine what it means to “operate” a nuclear plant. Interactions among human roles, automation, and passive systems shape how people maintain awareness, exercise judgment, and intervene when necessary. These developments affect both operational realities and the regulatory foundations on which nuclear safety is built.
Pran K. Paul, Michael V. Gregory, Tunc Aldemir
Nuclear Technology | Volume 137 | Number 2 | February 2002 | Pages 147-162
Technical Paper | Radioactive Waste Management and Disposal | doi.org/10.13182/NT02-A3264
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A dynamic optimization scheme has been developed to generate high-level-waste (HLW) blending sequences that optimize waste-processing parameters such as raw waste volume processed in a batch, waste-processing time, or waste-processing cost. The optimization algorithm takes advantage of the linear algebraic equation formulation and the continuous-discrete event mapping algorithms used in the Production Planning Model (ProdMod) simulator development. The FORTRAN-based optimizer is interfaced with the SPEEDUP-based dynamic process simulator ProdMod. The optimization scheme has been successfully implemented to maximize the amount of raw waste volume processed in a batch for one of the salt-processing options at the Savannah River Site HLW complex. Parametric studies demonstrate that this optimization scheme provides a realistic approach for guiding the operation of HLW complexes. The optimization scheme is applicable to other sites in the nuclear waste complex (e.g., Hanford) and also for process industries where the dynamics are simulated using Aspen Technology's SPEEDUP software development package.